We Got Married In Vegas
by 27dayz
Summary: After knocking back their fair share of alcohol, Catherine Willows and Gil Grissom wake up with more than a hangover. GC
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **I've had this in mind for a while. lol enjoy GCRs

**Summary:** After they kick back more than their share of alcohol, Gil and Catherine wake up with more than a hangover.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI and even if I did, I would not take credit for that sad-excuse for a season finale, but, hey, in the words of Catherine Willows in 'Who Shot Sherlock?' : "I'm making it work."

**We Got Married In Vegas**

"I'm buying this round," Catherine Willows announced to her companions, laying her money on the bar.

"No, no. It's on me," Gil Grissom told the bartender, replacing Catherine's twenty with his own.

"You bought the last two rounds, Gil," Catherine argued with him.

"So?" he shrugged, taking a long swig from his beer bottle. She glared at him.

"I'm buying the next one," she said firmly, taking a drink from her own bottle.

"Do you two ever stop?" Jim Brass asked, chuckling as he watched his two friends argue.

"Never!" Gil exclaimed, holding his beer by the neck and raising it in the air.

"I hate you," Catherine scowled across the bar at him.

"No you don't," he retorted cheekily. He smirked his patented smart-ass grin and she returned it with a small half-smile. Jim watched them with a smile on his face. It had been a long time since the three of them had gone out together and as of right now they had gone through four rounds each.

And they weren't finished.

Five and six and seven rounds of drinks went by in a blur, closely followed by eight and nine, continuing well into the wee hours of the morning.

It was near noon the next day when Gil Grissom painfully cracked open an eye, temporarily blinded by the sunlight filling the room. He closed it and leaned back into the pillow, vaguely wondering just how much he had to drink last night. He shifted slightly, only to find his movement was restricted. What the Hell?

Then there was movement in his arms and a sigh. He woke up real fast. He ignored the pounding in his head as his eyes scanned the room. He was not at home; he was in a hotel. A hotel with beige walls and a maroon trim. His attention quickly turned to finding out who was in bed with him. With a touch of foreboding, he looked down and found a familiar face.

Oh shit.

He lay there, stunned, looking down at the strawberry blond woman in his arms. He did not know what to do. If he woke her, he'd face her wrath. If he didn't wake her, he'd face her wrath. He ignored the dull pounding in his head and decided to get it over with. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. She looked so peaceful asleep, beautiful, even.

'Stop that!' He mentally berated himself, 'You can't think that about her. She's your best friend!'

On that note, he gently shook her shoulders.

"Catherine. Catherine, wake up," he softly, but urgently whispered. She stirred next to him, but he wasn't so sure he should be happy about that.

"No," she moaned, completely unaware of her surroundings or who was occupying the same bed as her. He rolled his eyes.

"Catherine, please wake up," he said firmly. And please don't kill me, he silently prayed.

"Gil, no," she moaned. Wait a second. Why was Gil Grissom in the same bed as her? She opened her eyes quickly and tried to see past the bright lights. When her vision cleared, she looked over into Gil's deep blue eyes and he stared back. Blue eyes met blue and for a moment, neither moved. Then Catherine jumped out of the bed, grabbing a sheet to wrap around her.

"Grissom! What the Hell!" she shouted, staring at him in horror. He was so stunned by her actions that he fell off the bed, tangled in blankets.

"Catherine, I'm sure there's a good explanation," he gulped, although he wasn't quite sure what that might be.

"Like what?" she asked shrilly. He cringed.

"Uhh…last night is a bit of a blur…" he trailed off. She started pacing, quite gracefully, being wrapped in a sheet.

"Oh, God, Gil! Tell me we didn't! Please tell me we didn't!" she requested and it was not lost to him.

"Honestly? I don't see how it's even possible with the number of rounds we drank," he said and she visibly relaxed a little bit. Then his expression morphed into confusion, "How many rounds did we have?" he asked. She paused and looked at him.

"Twelve?" she asked, very unsure.

"Really? I thought it was more than that," he said, trying to think clearly. They looked at each other and chuckled.

"I wonder what happened to Jim," Catherine ventured, sitting beside him on the bed. She would never admit it to anyone, but she had stood up a touch too fast.

"I'm sure he's probably fast asleep somewhere," Gil answered, putting a hand to his aching head. She looked over at him with the pretence of a small smile, but the gold band on his ring finger caught her eye.

"Gil, what's on your hand?" she asked, frowning slightly. He looked at his hands and he too saw the gold band.

"Uhh…"he started, unable to speak.

"It-it looks like a wedding ring," Catherine said, looking closer at the ring. He blinked several times and looked anywhere but at her face. And then he saw it.

"Catherine!" he said, standing up fast, so fast that he had to sit down again, "You…have…a ring," he choked out.

"What?" she all but shouted and looked at her own left hand and saw a golden band matching the one on Gil's finger.

"We didn't! God, tell me we didn't!" Gil freaked, the horrified expression never leaving his face. Catherine's head was spinning as she looked wildly around. She didn't know why something on the floor caught her eye. Maybe it was the CSI-born instincts, but regardless, she picked it up.

"We did," she choked out, holding up a marriage certificate.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **This soon enough?

**Summary:** After they kick back more than their share of alcohol, Gil and Catherine wake up with more than a hangover.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI and even if I did, I would not take credit for that sad-excuse for a season finale, but, hey, in the words of Catherine Willows in 'Who Shot Sherlock?' : "I'm making it work."

**We Got Married In Vegas**

Chapter 2

"Okay. It's not that bad-" Catherine started, attempting to be calm.

"Not that bad?" Gil shouted incredulously, "I'm married to you!"

"Thanks, Gil," she scoffed at him, and then continued, "People get drunk and get hitched all the time in Vegas. All we need to do is head to a courthouse and get this whole thing annulled." This seemed to calm Gil down. He nodded.

"Okay. Not that bad," he repeated. Then he ran to the bathroom and hurled.

"Nice," Catherine said, wincing at the sound. With that she pulled on her jeans from the night before, ready to put this behind her.

000000000000000000000000

"Three months!" Both Catherine and Gil exclaimed at the same time.

"Do you know how many people get married in this town and realize it was a mistake?" the secretary asked, "Judge Leon is very busy and I'm afraid that this matter will have to wait."

"It can't wait!" Catherine exclaimed, "We need this annulled immediately."

"We work at the Crime lab. It's a conflict of interest!" Gil told the round little woman sitting at the desk and Catherine had never been happier to hear the words 'conflict of interest' come out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the judge is very busy. These matters are classified according to importance and I'm afraid this will have to wait. It is the best I can do. My advice is to discuss the matter with your supervisors-"

"We are the supervisors," Catherine growled. Since the nightshift had been reformed, Gil and Catherine had been sharing supervisor duties not that either minded.

"Then you need to recluse yourselves from working cases together for the next three months," the woman scoffed, clearly annoyed. Gil and Catherine said nothing, but both of them had an identical scowl. They were still scowling when they walked out of the courthouse.

"Three months!" Catherine exclaimed, "Three months! This is ridiculous! Britney Spears got her first marriage annulled after two days and we have to wait three months!" She put a hand to her head.

"Aspirin?" he offered. She took one.

"Thanks," she said, swallowing it and produced her keys from her purse.

"What are we going to do, Cath?" he asked as they got into the Denali.

"I don't know," she snapped irritably. He looked over at her.

"What happened to 'It's not that bad'?" he asked. She glared at him.

"That was before I found out that I have to stick this out for three months," she said. He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not that bad!" he said defensively.

"That's not what I meant," she replied, keeping her eyes on the road. He understood her meaning and felt the same. They had to see each other every day at work, which could cause troubles. He also knew that she valued the sanctity of marriage, even more so after her ex-husband cheated on her. That meant for three months, she would not date anyone, for she never wanted to be viewed as a hypocrite. This he knew because he was her best friend and this, he respected her for. As complicated as this might get for him, he would try to do the same for her. He held her after she found Eddie in bed with another woman and he vowed he would never cause her that kind of pain.

"I know," he said softly. He offered her a small smile, which she returned.

"So you and me, for three months," she said, unsure of how this would turn out.

"It won't be any different, Catherine," he said, "We're still friends and coworkers. We're just going to be wearing rings for a few weeks." She smiled.

"Sounds good," she replied.

"Do you want to get a coffee or something?" he asked.

"Sure," she answered. They stopped at the usual place, further away from the strip, but yet still one of those places that gave tourists an eye full. They walked over to their usual booth and their coffee was almost immediately placed in front of them. His was black and hers had just a hint of cream.

"This has never tasted so good," he exclaimed.

"From this moment on, I am swearing off all alcoholic beverages," Catherine quipped, causing both to laugh.

"Agreed," he said. They talked for a while before Catherine dropped Gil off at his townhouse and went home. However tired they both were, neither could sleep. Both of them lay in there respectable beds thinking about their spouse.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **Enjoy. The next update should be soon. I'm almost done chapter four, and let's just say I can adapt with what TMTB throw at us.

**Summary:** After they kick back more than their share of alcohol, Gil and Catherine wake up with more than a hangover.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI and even if I did, I would not take credit for that sad-excuse for a season finale, but, hey, in the words of Catherine Willows in 'Who Shot Sherlock?' : "I'm making it work" as most aptly seen in chapter four.

**We Got Married In Vegas**

Chapter 3

A slight knock on the door alerted Gil to the woman entering his office.

"You're here early," she commented taking a seat. He sighed.

"I had nothing better to do," he replied, then he tried his hand at a joke, "Wow, I never thought I'd be saying that the day after my wedding."

"It is kind of sad," Catherine agreed with a smirk.

"Ah, the two people I wanted to see in one room," a snide voice interrupted them from the door. Suddenly both Gil and Catherine looked sheepish and a bit annoyed. Conrad Ecklie entered the room and from the look on his face, he was not pleased.

"And what can we do for you, Conrad?" Gil asked exasperated.

"I got a phone call earlier today from Judge Leon's office," Ecklie announced. Catherine and Gil shifted uncomfortably as they waited for him to continue, but all he said was, "Explain." They looked at each other, then Gil decided to bite the bullet.

"We went out for a drink last night after a double. One turned into another," he started.

"And then we woke up married," Catherine added, "We went to get it annulled, but we were told we had to wait three months due to a backlog at the courthouse."

"So you got drunk and married?" Ecklie asked dangerously.

"Yes," they said together.

"Did you have relations?" he asked, succeeding in making everyone in the room feel awkward.

"Don't think so," Gil replied. Ecklie glared at him.

"I should fire you both for this!" Ecklie exclaimed, "Do you realize what this could do the reputation of the lab?"

"That's why we're getting an annulment," Catherine replied a little cheekily.

"We considered that and we decided to avoid impropriety, we will work separate cases," Gil said cautiously, looking sideways at Catherine.

"That's a start," Ecklie shot coldly, "I'll be considering your disciplinary action in my office. Meet me there in the morning." He left the office, opening the door with much more force then was needed.

"The hangover was discipline enough," Catherine muttered. There was another small knock on the door and Brass stepped in.

"What's with Ecklie?" he asked.

"Don't ask," Gil answered, "What happened to you last night?"

"I must have got a cab home, 'cause I passed out at home. How much did we drink last night?" Jim asked.

"We're wondering that ourselves," Catherine injected.

"Must've been around thirteen. Killer hangover," Jim commented. Catherine laughed dryly.

"Oh, today I woke up with more than a hangover," she told him. Jim looked perplexed.

"Yeah, me," Gil continued, holding up his left hand to display the ring. Catherine showed hers as well.

"What the Hell?" Jim yelped, "You two aren't…"

"Til annulment do us part," Gil said.

"We can't get this thing annulled for another three months because there's a backlog at the courthouse," Catherine explained. To their annoyance, Jim started laughing.

"Now this is ironic. I always thought you two acted like an old married couple," he chuckled. Gil glared at him, while Catherine lightly punched him on the arm.

"Shall we go hand out assignments before we do something we'll regret?" Gil suggested, already walking past the laughing detective.

"Been there, done that," she sighed, but followed him to the break-room to find the rest of their team assembled there.

"Anybody want a root beer?" Greg Sanders asked, poking his spiky head out from behind the fridge door.

"Nothing with the word 'beer'!" Gil moaned when they walked in.

"What's the big bad city up to today?" Nick Stokes asked, looking up from his card game with Warrick Brown.

"Sara, you have an assault at the sphere. Warrick, you and Greg have a DB down at the Luxor, possible homicide. Nick, you're taking my place in the hit and run case with Catherine," Gil announced, handing assignment sheets out. Nick looked perplexed.

"Why?" he asked. Gil and Catherine looked at each other. She shrugged and he sighed.

"What's going on, guys?" Sara Sidle asked, looking from one to the other. Gil guiltily shifted his gaze to the floor. Catherine glanced between the two of them. So there was a thing between them…

"First thing you guys need to know is that both of us have sworn off alcohol for a very long time," Catherine started.

"I would too," Jim chuckled from the doorway. She glared at him.

"Last night after we pulled that double, Jim, Gil, and I went out for a few drinks," she continued.

"A few too many," Jim added.

"More than a few," Gil sighed.

"Anyways, this morning, we…uh…" she trailed off, looking unsurely at Gil. This little fiasco would not get him in Sara's good books and she honestly didn't want to jeopardize his relationship with the younger CSI.

"Catherine and I are married," he finished. The whole room froze, with Jim chuckling from the doorway. The can of root beer slipped from Greg's grasp. Nick and Warrick stared at them with open mouths and Sara's imploring eyes never left Gil.

"What!" was the collective yell from the room.

"Our sentiments exactly," Catherine said. Sara shook her head and pushed pass Brass out the door. Gil saw the tears in her eyes and felt like a world-class jerk. He had no idea what to do until Catherine gently pushed him towards the door.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Enjoy. Here it is. Now if anyone thinks I was too harsh with Sara, I needed her and Gil to break up. I've read fics where she's been treated worse...and really, what woman would stay with a man who married another woman in a drunken haze?

**Summary:** After they kick back more than their share of alcohol, Gil and Catherine wake up with more than a hangover.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI and even if I did, I would not take credit for that sad-excuse for a season finale, but, hey, in the words of Catherine Willows in 'Who Shot Sherlock?' : "I'm making it work" as most aptly seen in chapter four.

**We Got Married In Vegas**

Chapter 4

Gil followed Sara down the corridor, not sure of what he was going to say.

"Sara!" he called, but she refused to look at him. He somehow managed to get in front of her.

"What?" she shot at him, her eyes teary and blazing. He felt horrible.

"Sara, let me explain," he pleaded, gently steering her towards his office and shut the door.

"What the Hell?" she cried, her voice weak and cracking.

"Sara, it was all a stupid, drunken mistake. It didn't mean anything," he tried.

"You're married," was all she said, not bothering to hide the hurt.

"It's not like I planned this. We are going to get it annulled. In three months, this will all be over," he explained, trying to get through to her. She shook her head.

"Three months?" she exclaimed, disbelieving.

"There was a backlog at the courthouse," he told her. She was silent for a moment.

"Did you sleep with her?" she suddenly asked, blindsiding him.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"Did you sleep with her?" she asked again.

"No!" he exclaimed, and then at her disbelieving look, he added, "Even if I had wanted to, I couldn't have! I had too much to drink!"

"Now that makes feel a whole lot better!" Sara argued. Hurt was now mixed with anger.

"Sara, it will all be over soon. Nothing happened!" he tried to get her to see reason. She scoffed at him.

"Do you even understand?" she asked through clenched teeth, "You act like this is no big deal. It is! It's huge!"

"You should have seen me this morning," he quipped, but that was clearly not the right thing to say.

"I can't believe you!" she cried, "You go out, get smashed, and get married to Catherine, of all people, and just expect me to say 'It's okay, honey, I understand'."

"I don't think that at all!" he argued.

"Yes, you do! You don't give a damn about me or my feelings, otherwise, you might've took me aside before you waltzed into the break room with HER and announced that you're married. But no! You decided to break the news to me in front of everyone! I can't believe you're such an insensitive prick!" she shot back. He gasped, shocked at her words.

"Sara, I didn't mean to tell you that way. Catherine and I were-"

"Save it," she cut across him, coldly, "I'm done with this. It's over," and here, her voice broke. He gaped at her as he watched her turn to go.

"Sara, please-" he begged.

"I have a crime scene to process, _Grissom_," she said painfully. And she walked out the door, slamming it behind her. He was stunned. He leaned on the desk for support, trying to comprehend what was happening.

While Grissom and Sara were arguing in his office, Catherine was attempting to talk to Nick, Warrick, and Greg.

"So why weren't we invited to the wedding?" Warrick teased when he regained his voice.

"Damn, I knew you guys were tight, but I had no idea," Greg joined in.

"It's really not that big of a deal. We're getting an annulment in three months," Catherine said, blushing despite herself.

"But you and Grissom!" Nick exclaimed.

"Why three months?" Warrick asked. Catherine sighed and divulged the story for what seemed like the eightieth time.

"Because of a backlog at the courthouse, we can't get this thing annulled yet," she explained, "It won't be any different from before."

"Except hubby is just down the hall," Greg added.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that, Greg," Catherine said through clenched teeth.

"You know the blushing really suits you, Cath. A real blushing bride," Nick chimed in.

"You know, these kids are alright," Jim said, grinning.

"I hate you all," Catherine scowled, moving to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Never!" Jim exclaimed, remembering very early in the previous night. Catherine glared at him. She then happened to look over and saw a very upset looking Sara walk by, determined not to show it.

"Don't you all have work to do?" she asked, "Nick go meet with Doc Robbins. I'll meet you guys at the autopsy."

"Okay… and Cath? Congratulations," Nick ventured, heading out of there quickly in case she retorted. After they all left, she turned and walked towards Gil's office. She knocked on the closed door. Normally, she would have just walked in, but lately normal went out the window. She was relieved when he opened the door, but her heart broke when she saw the hurt in his eyes. If it weren't for his eyes, he would be unreadable.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," he said in the same voice, opening the door wider for her to enter. He closed it and went to sit on the couch. She sat next to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He leaned back and sighed.

"She called me an insensitive prick and then she broke up with me," he answered, staring into space.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. She felt this was all her fault. He laughed ruefully.

"It wasn't your fault, Cath. I-I could have been a bit more sensitive," he replied.

"Gil, you guys broke up because of our marriage. If we hadn't-"

"Nah, it wouldn't have worked out anyways. Though this certainly isn't helping me honour that pledge not to drink," he replied with a small laugh. She joined him.

"Hey, you still got me," she shrugged.

"For three months," he added with a smile.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," he replied. They got up and she hugged him.

"I'd better get going," she said softly.

"Thanks, Catherine," he said sincerely as she walked out the door. This time the poor thing wasn't slammed.

Catherine's heels clicked on the linoleum as she walked towards the morgue. She opened the heavy metal doors to the autopsy room, where she found Dr. Al Robbins, Nick, and David Phillips.

"Hey, guys. How's the vic?" she asked.

"Just the same as you and Gil sent him to me," Dr. Robbins replied, and then he smiled warmly at her, "Speaking of which, congratulations."

"Nick!" she called, through gritted teeth. The Texan shrugged.

"I had to explain why Grissom wasn't here," he replied innocently. She rolled her eyes.

"So is it still Willows?" David asked.

"Yes it is. I am sure the blabbermouth must have told you that this matter is being annulled in the very near future. Now, what can you tell me about the vic?" she changed the subject. The autopsy concluded with Dr. Robbins telling her to say 'Hi' to Gil for him. The rest of the night went on like this. Her drunken nuptials had somehow spread to the rest of the lab (she had a very good idea how this came to be) and it was lucky that she never ran into Sara. She wasn't sure how the brunette would react to being in the same room with her ex's wife. Catherine was almost relieved when she and Gil had to meet with Ecklie. At least they were sheltered from the imploring eyes of their coworkers.

The downside? Ecklie.

"Well, you're both lucky that I don't fire you for conflict of interest," he started, "I see no reason why this whole matter can't be resolved as long as this… union… is dissolved in three months. As for now, however, you both are on probation," he finished. Both Gil and Catherine started.

"On what grounds?" Gil questioned. Ecklie glared at him.

"On the grounds that you two are married and working together. I don't want my lab being muddled with your personal affairs," he explained.

"Believe me, there is no problem," Catherine chimed in.

"Regardless, you are both dismissed," Ecklie ordered. Gil and Catherine rose and left the office, visibly annoyed.

"I hate him," Catherine fumed, falling into step alongside Gil.

"Funny but I think he has a crush on you," he quipped, laughing at her. She made a gagging noise.

"Don't make me sick," she warned.

"Maybe that's why he's so mad," Gil teased as they walked together into the cool Las Vegas morning, only to bump into Sara, who glared at them both, before storming into the building. They stared after her.

"This is going to be an interesting three months," Catherine sighed, looking sideways at Gil.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Ok, so if you want to rant at me, go for it. Here is Lindsey's reaction.

**Summary:** After they kick back more than their share of alcohol, Gil and Catherine wake up with more than a hangover.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI and even if I did, I would not take credit for that sad-excuse for a season finale, but, hey, in the words of Catherine Willows in 'Who Shot Sherlock?' : "I'm making it work" as most aptly seen in chapter four.

**We Got Married In Vegas**

Chapter 5

"Hi, Mom," Lindsey greeted her mother from her perch on a stool by the counter.

"Hey, Sweetheart. Where's Grandma?" Catherine asked, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a bowl. When Lindsey had been a little girl, Catherine had kissed and hugged her daughter frequently. That was before Lindsey turned thirteen.

"Living room," Lindsey responded.

"Good," Catherine replied, joining Lindsey at the counter.

"You and Grandma aren't fighting again, are you?" Lindsey asked in between spoonfuls of Fruit Loops.

"Of course not, Linds. Why would you think that?" Catherine asked, warily looking towards the living room.

"Why are you avoiding Grandma?" Lindsey asked, nodding towards the living room. Catherine allowed a small chuckle.

"I'm not avoiding Grandma. I'm just not in a hurry to disturb her," Catherine replied cautiously.

"You're avoiding Grandma," Lindsey said matter-of-factly.

"Who's avoiding Grandma?" Lily Flynn asked, emerging from the living room. Catherine scowled as her mother's imploring eyes landed on her.

"No one, Mother," she sighed, pouring herself some cereal. Lily eyed her suspiciously.

"Alright, what did you do?" she asked Catherine, who tensed horribly.

"Nothing," Catherine lied, hiding her left hand behind her back.

"Catherine, I'm your mother. I know when you're hiding something, now spill," Lily ordered in a tone that demanded no argument. Catherine winced, feeling as if she were sixteen again and just been caught for sneaking out.

"Just…uh…some complications at work," she tried. Oh, if they only knew.

"Does it have anything to do with you not coming home last night? I know you had the night off, Catherine," Lily asked. Catherine cursed her mother for her nosiness. Lindsey just sat there in admiration of her grandmother's ability to pry into her mother's life. It was not an easy task.

"I just went out for a couple of drinks with Jim and Gil after the case!" Catherine exclaimed, perhaps a little too defensively.

"Complications, hmm?" Lily asked, suspiciously, "There's nothing going on between you three, is there?"

"MOM!" Catherine yelped, scandalized. Lindsey snorted into her cereal.

"What?" Lily asked, unaware that she said anything taboo.

"No!" Catherine answered, "We're just friends."

"Uncle Gil doesn't have personal relationships, Nana," Lindsey explained, "He just has friends." Oh, if only Lindsey knew, Catherine thought wryly.

"Or friends with rings," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that, Catherine?" Lily asked.

"Nothing Mom. Could you pass the paper?" Catherine changed the subject. Lily thrust the morning news over to her daughter. Catherine took it and was about to open it, when her mother seized her arm.

"Mom-" Catherine was about to protest, but stopped when she saw where Lily was looking. Shit.

"I want the whole story, NOW!" Lily emphasized the last word. Lindsey raised an eyebrow.

"What's up?" the girl asked, clueless. Catherine winced.

"I went for drinks with Jim and Gil. Jim went home after a few drinks…and well, Lindsey, Mommy made a mistake," she tried to explain to her thirteen-year-old.

"What kind of mistake?" Lindsey asked warily.

"Well, remember that time when you were six, you told me that you wished me and Uncle Gil would get married?" Catherine asked. Lindsey frowned in thought, remembering to when she was a child. She remembered that was the year her parents had gotten a divorce. Her mother tried to appear strong, but Lindsey heard her cry herself to sleep at night after Eddie had cheated on her. Catherine had not wanted Lindsey to see her hurt, and so she put on a show. Even though Lindsey was so young at the time, she could see that when her mother smiled, it did not reach her eyes or make her eyes sparkle. The only time Catherine ever seemed to be genuinely happy was when she was with Gil, or Uncle Gil, as Lindsey had called him since she could talk. Lindsey noticed this, and one night, as Catherine was tucking her in, the little girl had asked if Catherine and Uncle Gil would get married. Catherine had laughed and said they were just friends.

"Yeah," Lindsey answered, unsure where this was going.

"Well, last night, Uncle Gil and I…er…we got married," Catherine explained sheepishly to a shocked Lily and Lindsey.

"You guys got married!" the latter exclaimed, jumping up.

"Yes," Catherine answered, showing her daughter the ring. Lindsey looked at it for a moment. Her face was emotionless and unreadable. Catherine knew Lindsey spent too much time with Gil. All of a sudden, Lindsey hopped off the stool and ran from the room.

"Linds-" Catherine started, but it was too late. She heard the door slam.

"I hope you're not surprised by this," Lily said, surveying her daughter as if in a new light.

"Save the sermon, mother," Catherine mumbled.

"How do you think you would react if I had just up and married Sam out of the blue? Look at how you reacted when you found out we had started dating again," Lily pointed out, "What do you think he's going to say when he finds out about this?" Catherine winced. She had not given her father a thought.

"He won't find out because Gil and I aren't broadcasting it. We're getting this whole fiasco taken care of. In three months, it will be annulled. Kaput," Catherine said, climbing off her stool to go bang on Lindsey's door to no avail.

"Oh Catherine, I hope you know what you're doing," Lily muttered into her coffee.

---

Two days after their first night back at work, Gil and Catherine were sitting in his office, which had become a refuge for both to avoid the prying eyes of the lab. True, Catherine had her own office, but she shared that with a duck-loving woman on the dayshift, and as odd as it may seem, she felt more at home in Gil's. The door was propped open, to adhere to their probations. Gil was leaning back behind his desk, while Catherine sat in one of the chairs, dressed in her best court clothes.

"So how much do you want to bet that my credibility is going to get shot to Hell?" she asked, nervously.

"Come on, Catherine," he sighed, "I'm not even involved in this case in any way. The defence has no reason to question you about us."

"Really? So you think our little marital mishap hasn't reached the lawyers yet?" she asked, smoothing her skirt.

"Stranger things have happened," he shrugged. She nodded. Being CSIs, they witnessed strange things every day.

"So true," she agreed.

"You'll do fine, Catherine," he said after a minute.

"I seriously hope you're right because I'm going out of my mind. I've been stressing about this case all week, Lindsey can't stand to be in the same room as me, and to top it all off, I have to keep tabs on my mother so she doesn't leak this whole thing to Sam," she explained, fidgeting some more. He offered her a sympathetic smile.

"Lindsey is still not talking to you, huh?" he asked.

"Well she did say that I'm not allowed to say anything about responsible drinking," Catherine commented dryly.

"Just give her time. She'll be alright," Gil replied.

"I hope-" she was cut off as the alarm on her cell buzzed.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Shit!" she cursed, paling.

"What?" he asked, concerned. She put a hand to her head.

"Lindsey!" she exclaimed, cringing, "She has a dentist appointment in a half-hour! I forgot!"

"C-can I help?" he didn't know what made him ask, but he did. She looked over at him.

"You can't testify for me," she said, perplexed. He shook his head.

"Not that. I could take Lindsey," he offered. Catherine looked at him.

"You'd do that?" she asked.

"Yeah. No problem," he replied, "I'm not doing anything."

---

Gil nervously waited outside his truck for Lindsey to get out of school. Maybe this was not such a great idea. If Catherine was having problems with her daughter, what hope did he have? He nervously swallowed the lump in his throat as he saw Lindsey exit the school, gaze around for Catherine, and when her eyes landed on Gil, she scowled and walked up to him. He mustered a sheepish smile as she approached.

"Hey, Butterfly," he said softly, using his own special nickname he had given her when she was little.

"Where's my mom?" she merely asked.

"She was due in court so she asked me to pick you up," he explained. She stared at him for a moment, as if passing judgement on him. He squirmed.

"Fine," she muttered and walked around to climb into the passenger's seat. He sighed and hopped into the driver's side.

"So, how's school?" he asked, breaking the silence that had quickly fallen between them

"Same old, same old," she shrugged, not even bothering to look at him. He sighed.

"Yeah, I know I deserve the silent treatment," he relented and focused on the road. Lindsey looked across at him, frowning in thought, as if she were re-evaluating him.

"Do the crime, pay the time," she said finally.

"Good policy. Stick by it," he encouraged.

"At least until you get divorced," she added. He winced.

"What? Do you think that's a cop out? Do you think your mom and I should stick it out?" he asked, chancing a glance in her direction.

"Well, you guys are setting an awesome example for me. Marriage is a sham and if I make a mistake, I can just get an divorce to fix it," she shot back at him.

"Marriage is not a sham, Linds," he retorted. She snorted.

"Really? What's so great about marriage? My mom and dad were married, and look at how they ended up. Grandma and Grandpa were never married an they're happy. Hollywood stars go through spouses like chewing gum. Half the kids in my class have parents who are divorced. The other half say they're parents always fight. You and mom want out of marriage so badly that you guys are willing to wait three months to get divorced," she finished. She did have a point.

"Marriage is about wanting to be with the one you love," Gil replied.

"Then how come you never got married?" she asked.

"Because I never found the one," he replied, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation.

"What about this? Was my mom the one?" Lindsey asked.

"Your mom is my best friend, Lindsey. She's the only person who has ever got that close to me. I'm not about to jeopardize that," he responded, staring straight ahead.

"So you got married?" Lindsey asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"We didn't mean to. After work the other night, we went out for a drink with Jim. It had been so long since we spent time together and maybe we had a little too much fun. The last thing I wanted to do was jeopardize her job or damage her relationship with you," he explained. Lindsey looked at him, but didn't say a word. She was judging him again.

Third time's a charm.

The next night, when Catherine walked into his office, she was beaming.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For saying whatever you said to Lindsey. She's talking to me again," Catherine told him, smiling a grateful smile that made him feel like he was on top of the world.

TBC


End file.
